MEMPHIS, Tenn. — An automated phone call from Southwind High School is stirring up controversy.
Parents received a disturbing voicemail from Southwind High School Principal Christopher Hardiman on Friday. He said students and a parent were fighting in the schools parking lot before people were called. But what he said after that is where the story gets tricky.
“When The Sheriff’s Department deputy showed up on campus, he pointed his shotgun in the direction at the individuals who were fighting,”
The Sheriff’s Office say they were being extremely cautious, because they had just received an armed person call the day prior. However, they deny that their deputy pointed a gun at anyone.
On Saturday, The Sheriff’s Office released a press release saying they reviewed video footage, but it only showed the deputy holding a gun straight in the air.
WREG spoke with a parent who says she was shocked after she heard the voicemail on Friday, and by Sunday she was confused. That’s because someone from the school district called with a correction, and said “the detail about the officer pointing the gun at an individual was not accurate.”
The employee then acknowledged any confusion the messages caused.
The Sheriffs Office tells us that any calls of threats they receive are taken seriously.
Shelby County Schools says they’re committed to strengthening their relationship with police., to ensure this does not happen again.